How Window Treatments can Increase your Home's Value

You can do a few things to your home that are easy and inexpensive yet really help give your home an overhaul. New window treatments fall into this category, as they can add a cozy element to your home that was missing before. Before you list your home for sale, make sure your shutters are in good shape and your house is warm and inviting.

How Custom Blinds Add Value to a Home

If a potential buyer is out house hunting and sees 10 homes in one day, he will remember the home that had the most custom features. A lot of homes look similar these days, especially ones tucked away in developments. There a few things you can do to customize your home and make it stand out from the pack.

Customized blinds are something you should consider since they help to add texture, color, and style to your home in a way that standard blinds just cannot. Before you are entertaining guests or have people coming to look at your home, give your custom blinds a quick cleaning to make sure your home looks sharp. You might be surprised at how clean blinds can also look a lot better than blinds that haven't been dusted or wiped down in months.

Shutters can also Add Value to your Home

While custom blinds help add some style to the inside of your home, shutters are the first thing people see when they drive up to your home. Curb appeal matters. You want to make sure your lawn is trimmed, it is not full of weeds, and that your home looks like it is clean and freshly painted — this includes the shutters.

A few tips on how to pick the best shutters to add value to your home:

• Choose the right color — you want to choose something in a neutral hue, but that is different from other homes in your area. Just stay away from bright colors that you might love, but prospective buyers might see them as a chore they would need to repaint.
• Age matters — if your shutters are old and falling apart, this will turn off potential buyers. Sometimes with shutters, what matters is that buyers just see them as something that does not need to be replaced or maintained anytime soon.
• Make sure they hold up to the elements — choose a shutter that is durable and will hold up well in a storm.

Don't let bad curb appeal turn off potential buyers before they step foot in the door. Buyers might not notice your shutters if they are in great condition, but you can be certain they will notice them if they are falling apart and need to be replaced.

Window Treatments can Elevate your Home above the Competition

Even if you take your window treatments and curtains with you when you leave home, they can still help you sell your house. Not all your window treatments need to be identical, and what you choose in each room can be a great way to show your personal taste and style. In most cases, you will leave the window treatments with the home, and potential buyers want to feel at home without worrying about replacing all the window treatments in the home.

A treatment like a woven wood shade is going to look better in any room in your home than the cheap window slats you can buy at most big-box retailers. Think of window treatments as a way you can communicate directly with potential buyers.

Custom always beats out Basic

Yes, you can go to a big box store and buy basic blinds and shutters. How is the housing market in your area? If you are competing to sell your house against 20 others just like it, you might have a hard time if your home is just basic.

Custom blinds like composite blinds can help your home stand out. Be the home that buyers are talking about at the end of a day of house-hunting. They aren't going to be talking about the home that looks like it was built at a big box store. They will talk about the home with personalized, custom touches. A home is a sense of pride, and they want a home they can show off to their friends and family and proudly show why they chose your home to buy!

When you think of which custom blinds to install in your home, try to think about how someone else would see them. While you might love flamingo pink, that color might put off someone else. Stick to neutral hues and invest in quality blinds that will stand out in their craftsmanship. Remember that while not everyone has the same taste, most people can appreciate a quality product over something off the shelf.

Style Matters to Potential Buyers

In general, the more neutral things like blinds, shutters, and window treatments are, the better off you are. You can still customize your window treatments while keeping them in colors and tones that are favorable to most buyers.

Curtains and window treatments can be expensive. You want to present your home to potential buyers in a way that shows them it is move-in ready. When you have a buyer walk in a room and feel that warm, fuzzy feeling that will go a long way in securing a sale of your home. When choosing between two homes that are neck and neck, buyers typically pick the one that makes them feel good inside. Generally, those homes do not require many renovations that would cost them both time and money.